Blog entry

How Old Buildings Are Given a New Life

Old buildings have a timeless charm which simply cannot be replicated by newer buildings. Nevertheless, they too need some work done in order to maintain their charm. However, once they are renovated, they will be the foundation of a very stylish home and garden decor. The restoration of a building is done out of various reasons. In some case there is need to secure the building against natural disasters such as earthquakes, while at many times heritage and cultural buildings are so worn-out by time and weather that a change in facade is vital. Due to the fact that stone is the hardest construction material to be found on earth, brick restoration Ottawa is the only way to preserve a building’s structure intact. In order to get the job done, a mason has to have full knowledge of the methods of construction that were used in the initial operation and the process of masonry reconstruction is a lot more difficult then it seems at first glance.

Taking into consideration the type of building

In the beginning the mason must make an assessment and determine the type of structural scheme and the materials used, as well as the extent of the damage. In addition to this, there is a difference between repairing and restoring. While repairing involves regaining the initial architectural shape of the building, restoring means re-establishing the lost quality of the edifice. For instance, most superstructures built of brick only have masonry coating and are thus not original masonry buildings. Buildings that re placed in industrial areas are of old age and are not made from solid construction material. In addition to this, the initial survey should bring out information such as intersection, pointing and also the amount of dirt deposited on the surface.

Clearing up and removing the damage

After having determined the state of the edifice, it is necessary to give a new look to the façade, which is done by carefully removing any deposits from the surface. This stage is important due to the fact that it can bring into light further issues that were not visible during the first evaluation. For the cleaning phase, experts sue only chemical solutions that are specially designed to remove residues such as soil and dirt, but graffiti can also be eliminated. The cleaning is always followed by the elimination of the deteriorated areas, operation which usually precedes the actual restoration phase.

Preparing the mortar

The fact is that the mortar that was used a long time ago does not have the same composition as the present one used for construction purposes. While in the past mortar was produced from limestone, the present composition is made up of cement, which can be considered to be an improvisation. Accordingly, if the mason is hired to restore a building that was constructed in the nineteenth century, he will have to use mortar based on lime. Cement can be added to the composition only in the case of newer edifices. In addition to this, the sand that is introduced in the mix has to be identical to the one used in the original construction. Finally, the mix has to match the texture of the initial joint and this can only be realized by a mason who has enough experience in the field. Reproducing the original texture is reduced to copying it.

To conclude, old buildings such as cathedrals need masonry work in order to be preserved for a longer period of time. The same can be said for historical houses. If you plan on buying such a house, don’t take the restoration process lightly. If you want to obtain a gorgeous home and garden decor, treat a historical building with respect and invest in the best restoration solutions. It is important for old edifices to be maintained for the use future generations and for the fact that an edifice represents a connection with the past, thus having a historical meaning attached to it. While stone bricks are an extremely durable type of material, extreme weather conditions can both damage the structure and transform it into a safety risk. That is why buildings should be fixed once in a while.